At first glance, Omar Rababah’s result in the 2026 general election appears unremarkable.The Labour candidate secured just 151 first-count votes on District 6 and 152 on District 7, giving him a combined total of 303 first-preference votes.Yet despite that modest tally, Rababah could still end up becoming a member of parliament.The Casual Election EffectThe possibility stems from Malta’s casual election process, which comes into play whenever a parliamentary seat is vacated. Because Ian Borg was elected on both Districts 6 and 7, he will be required to give up one of those seats, triggering a casual election to fill the vacancy.Historically, Borg has retained his District 7 seat, which includes his hometown of Dingli and where he enjoys particularly strong support.If he follows the same pattern this time, he would relinquish his District 6 seat, triggering a casual election.A Narrow Field In District 6On District 6, the elected Labour candidates were Ian Borg, Silvio Schembri, Rosianne Cutajar and Omar Farrugia.Among the remaining unelected Labour candidates, Ramona Attard secured 989 first-count votes while Omar Rababah obtained 151.At first glance, Attard appears the obvious favourite to inherit any vacant seat.However, Malta’s STV system means the story doesn’t necessarily end there.How Rababah Could BenefitShould Ramona Attard eventually enter parliament through another casual election route, attention would turn to the remaining candidates on District 6.One scenario involves Finance Minister Clyde Caruana, who was elected on two districts and is widely expected to retain his District 8 seat. If that happens, District 8’s vacancy could be filled by Ramona Attard, who polled strongly there but missed out on direct election.In that case, Attard would no longer be available to contest a District 6 casual election, potentially leaving Rababah as the next candidate in line.The result would be one of the most unusual parliamentary journeys in recent Maltese political history: a candidate entering parliament despite receiving just 303 first-count votes across both districts.Rababah’s candidacy attracted significant public attention during the campaign.The Labour candidate was subjected to racist and Islamophobic abuse on social media, with some critics spreading conspiracy theories about a supposed Muslim agenda to take over Malta.The equation might have looked very different had former minister Roderick Galdes remained on the Labour ticket. Galdes, who was removed from parliament earlier this year amid controversy, had traditionally been one of Labour’s strongest performers on District 6 and would likely have been among the frontrunners to benefit from any casual election vacancy.If he ultimately makes it into parliament, his election would mark a remarkable political turnaround. From a candidate written off on election day to a potential MP through the intricate workings of Malta’s electoral system.For now, everything depends on which seats are relinquished and how the casual election process unfolds over the coming weeks. But one thing is certain: Omar Rababah’s parliamentary hopes are not over yet.Do you think Omar Rababah will make it to parliament?•